9th CAMRA Real Ale & Cider Festival & Autumn Diesel Gala

One of the biggest beer & cider festivals in Kent & Sussex is returning for the 9th year!

180+ Real Ales, 30+ Ciders, 30+ Green Hop Beers plus more beverages!

Our major Real Ale and Cider event, only made possible through the support of West Kent CAMRA, returns for its 9th year from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th October 2019. With 180+ Real Ales, 30+ Green Hop Beers, a craft beer bar featuring UK Keg & European Beers & 30+ Ciders, this is the event you do not want to miss.

The main festival takes place in our Victorian Engine Shed at Tunbridge Wells West where you can enjoy a pint or two throughout the day in between train rides if you wish. We're operate our 50 minute interval train service and with the festival continuing on the trains and at Groombridge and Eridge Stations, the whole railway comes life with some wonderful local brews!

Full details of this extremely popular event will become available in Summer in 2019, however tickets for the train travel on the day can be purchased online now.

Tickets are just £20 per adult or £10 per child for unlimited travel all day from the first to the last train.Members of CAMRA who produce their membership card can travel for just £15*.

Please note: This facility for CAMRA members to travel at £15 is not available online and is only available from our Ticket Offices on the day of the event. Those wishing to purchase discounted train tickets should only do so from our Ticket Offices, asking for a CAMRA member rover and producing their in date CAMRA membership card. We are unable to refund the difference at our Ticket Offices should you choose to purchase a full price ticket online, a refund for any tickets purchased online will be in conjunction with our Refunds and Cancellations policy and will incur a £10 admin fee.

Tunbridge Wells West• The main festival location. Bar opening hours Fri & Sat 11:00 to 22:00, Sun 11:00 to 18:00.• Trains to High Rocks, Groombridge & Eridge.• Fullers Butcher BBQ & other food stalls.• Live Entertainment throughout the event at selected times.• Ticket office, toilets and main departure point of train services. • Station shop stocking a large variety of railway and children's products.

High Rocks• Access to the famous High Rocks or Tea Garden Lane which can provide great photographic opportunities.• High Rocks Inn and Garden.• A great place to watch the trains from the Inns garden.

Groombridge• Trains crossing over all three days.• Real ale & cider bar on the station platform.• Food stalls.

Eridge• Mainline connections with Southern services to Central London, East Croydon, Oxted (change for East Grinstead) and Uckfield.• Real ale and cider bar on the station platform.• Locomotives can be viewed in the bay platform between trains if timetabled to remain at the station. • Food stalls.

Local AccomodationThere are many places to stay in Tunbridge Wells but we suggest you book in advance to make sure you can stay over and enjoy the whole event, it saves driving and means you can have a few!• The Brick House Bed & Breakfast - Click here• Tunbridge Wells Travelodge - Click here - sells out fast and also the cheapest hotel. • Smith and Western, just accross the road from Tunbridge Wells West - Click here• Details of other local accomodation can be found here

The nearest campsites to the Spa Valley Railway can be found here, the campsite we run past is for Scout Groups only, not for the general public.

Getting to our 9th CAMRA Real Ale & Cider Festival 2018:

By Road:The railway's Tunbridge Wells West address is: West Station, Neville Terrace, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5QY and we can be located at the Western end of the town by Sainsbury's and Homebase. Brown tourist signs in the area will assist in guidance and there are two Pay & Display Car Parks within 5-10 minutes’ walk of Tunbridge Wells West Station located at Union House, Linden Close and Major York's Road.

Eridge Station can be accessed off of the main A26 Tunbridge Wells to Lewes Road. The station has a large Pay & DIsplay Car Park and currently at weekends is just £2 to park all day.

There is very limited parking at Groombridge Station. High Rocks Station has a large free car park and signage is available from Tunbridge Wells to the Rocks themselves.

By Rail:The easiest station you can get to us via rail travel is Eridge where our trains depart from Platform 2 or you can arrive via Tunbridge Wells Mainline after a 10-15 minute walk down the town through the very famous Pantiles. Please check National Rail Enquiries before travelling.

Booking information

Rover tickets are valid for unlimited travel on the day of issue. If you select an e-ticket please ensure you print it off and bring it with you on the day, you will not be required to exchange it however you must have it in printed form for our staff to check.